scholarly journals Biodiversity patterns and ecological processes in Neotropical dry forest: the need to connect research and management for long-term conservation

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gema Escribano-Avila ◽  
Laura Cervera ◽  
Leonardo Ordóñez-Delgado ◽  
Andrea Jara-Guerrero ◽  
Luis Amador ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dry Forest ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Biodiversity Patterns ◽  
Neotropical Dry Forest

From seedlings to trees: Using ontogenetic models of growth and survivorship to assess long-term (>100 years) dynamics of a neotropical dry forest

2011 ◽  
Vol 262 (6) ◽  
pp. 916-930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kurt P. McLaren ◽  
Mathieu Lévesque ◽  
Chait Sharma ◽  
Byron Wilson ◽  
Morag A. McDonald
Keyword(s):  
Dry Forest ◽  
Neotropical Dry Forest

Effects of long-term inter-annual rainfall variation on the dynamics of regenerative communities during the old-field succession of a neotropical dry forest

2018 ◽  
Vol 426 ◽  
pp. 91-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Martínez-Ramos ◽  
Patricia Balvanera ◽  
Felipe Arreola Villa ◽  
Francisco Mora ◽  
José Manuel Maass ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dry Forest ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Old Field ◽  
Rainfall Variation ◽  
Neotropical Dry Forest ◽  
Old Field Succession

Long-term changes in above ground biomass after disturbance in a neotropical dry forest, Hellshire Hills, Jamaica

Plant Ecology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 215 (10) ◽  
pp. 1081-1097 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milena Niño ◽  
Kurt P. McLaren ◽  
Henrik Meilby ◽  
Mathieu Lévesque ◽  
Byron Wilson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dry Forest ◽  
Above Ground Biomass ◽  
Ground Biomass ◽  
Long Term Changes ◽  
Neotropical Dry Forest

scholarly journals Urban Ecological Restoration

2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul H. Gobster
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Indigenous Species ◽  
Reference Sites ◽  
Urban Context ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Fixed Set ◽  
Natural Diversity ◽  
Urban Ecological Restoration

What does ecological restoration mean in an urban context? More than half of the world’s population now lives in cities, and in response to the dynamic patterns of urbanization, a growing number of ecologists, land managers, and volunteers are focusing their efforts in and around cities to restore remnants of natural diversity (Ingram 2008). Ecological restoration is still a quite youthful field, yet many scientists and practitioners hold a relatively fixed set of criteria for what defines a successful restoration project, irrespective of where sites are located. Among the criteria commonly stated, sites should be composed of indigenous species, have a structure and diversity characteristic of currently undisturbed or historically documented “reference” sites, and be maintained through ecological processes such as fire that ensure long-term sustainability with minimal human assistance (Ruiz-Jaén and Aide 2005; SER International 2004). Application of these criteria has led to many ecologically successful restorations, but some ecologists in the field have begun to question whether the same standards can be realistically applied to sites such as those within urban areas that have been radically altered by past human activity (e.g., Martínez and López-Barerra 2008) or are being influenced by novel conditions that result in unpredictable trajectories (Choi 2007). Perhaps more significantly, it is becoming increasingly recognized that the broader viability of restoration projects, especially those in urban areas, hinges on how socially successful they are in gaining public acceptance for restoration activities and practices, building constituencies to assist with implementation and maintenance, and addressing a broader set of sustainability goals that reach beyond the protection of native biodiversity (e.g., Choi et al. 2008; Hobbs 2007; Rosenzweig 2003).

scholarly journals Long-term UVB exposure promotes predator-inspection behaviour in a fish

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 20170497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Vitt ◽  
Janina E. Zierul ◽  
Theo C. M. Bakker ◽  
Ingolf P. Rick
Keyword(s):  
Gasterosteus Aculeatus ◽  
Stratospheric Ozone ◽  
Ultraviolet B ◽  
Antipredator Behaviour ◽  
Uvb Radiation ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Natural Sunlight ◽  
Predator Inspection

Ultraviolet-B radiation (UVB) reaching the earth's surface has increased due to human-caused stratospheric ozone depletion. Whereas the harmful effects of UVB on aquatic organisms are well studied at the molecular and cellular level, recent studies have also begun to address behavioural changes caused by sublethal amounts of UVB. However, the behavioural consequences of long-term exposure to ecologically relevant UVB levels over several life stages are virtually unknown, particularly with regard to predator–prey behaviour. We found increased predator-inspection behaviour together with a smaller body length in three-spined sticklebacks ( Gasterosteus aculeatus ) after fish were exposed for about seven months to natural sunlight conditions with enhanced UVB, compared with full siblings exposed to natural sunlight only. The observed change in antipredator behaviour may reflect a direct behavioural response mediated through UVB-induced oxidative stress during development. Alternatively, the smaller body size in UVB-exposed fish may result in an increased inspection effort allowing them to spend more time foraging. Our findings suggest that, within the scope of environmental change, UVB radiation constitutes an important stress factor by eliciting behavioural responses that influence crucial ecological processes, such as predator–prey interactions.

scholarly journals A floristic description of the Afromontane fynbos communities on Platberg, Eastern Free State, South Africa

Koedoe ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert F. Brand ◽  
Pieter J. Du Preez ◽  
Leslie R. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resources ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Alien Invasive Species ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
The North ◽  
Shrub Community ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Twinspan Classification

Within the Platberg area and the wider Drakensberg region, the shrinking natural resources and the threat posed to biodiversity are of concern to conservation management and require an understanding of long-term ecological processes. The vegetation of Platberg was investigated as part of an ecological survey to establish Afromontane floristic links to the Drakensberg as well as for the management of natural resources. From a TWINSPAN classification, refined by the Braun-Blanquet method, four main plant communities were identified, which were subdivided into fynbos, wetland, a woody/shrub community and grassland. A classification and description of the fynbos are presented in this article.The analysis showed the fynbos divided into two communities comprising four sub-communities and seven variants. The fynbos community had an average of 28.34 species per relevé, ranging from 14 to 54 species per sample plot. Twenty-four endemic or near-endemic Drakensberg Alpine Centre (DAC) species and 22 exotic (alien-invasive) species were recorded. Numerous floristic links with the DAC, Cape flora fynbos and grassland bioregions to the north and west were also found. The description of the fynbos plant communities can serve as a basis for the formulation of management plans for the area.

scholarly journals A vegetation description and floristic analyses of the springs on the Kammanassie Mountain, Western Cape

Koedoe ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Cleaver ◽  
L.R. Brown ◽  
G.J. Bredenkamp
Keyword(s):  
Plant Communities ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Mountain Catchment ◽  
Habitat Factors ◽  
Management Plans ◽  
Twinspan Classification ◽  
Geological Origin ◽  
The Difference

The Kammanassie Mountain is a declared mountain catchment area and a Cape mountain zebra Equus zebra zebra population is preserved on the mountain. The high number of springs on the mountain not only provides water for the animal species but also contributes to overall ecosystem functioning. Long-term conservation of viable ecosystems requires a broader understanding of the ecological processes involved. It was therefore decided that a classification, description and mapping of the spring vegetation of the Kammanassie Mountain be undertaken. A TWINSPAN classification, refined by Braun-Blanquet procedures, revealed 11 major plant communities that could be related to geological origin. Habitat factors associated with differences in vegetation include topography, soil type and grazing. Descriptions of the plant communities include diagnostic species as well as prominent and less conspicuous species of the tree, shrub and herbaceous layers. The results also indicate a high species richness compared to similar regions and the difference between plant communities of wet and dry springs. This data is important for long-term monitoring of the spring ecosystems as well as for the compilation of management plans.

Where does the fox stay? First camera trap records of the threatened hoary fox Lycalopex vetulus (Carnivora, Canidae) in a xeric habitat of a neotropical dry forest–savanna ecotone

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Henrique Marinho ◽  
Fernanda Reis de Araújo ◽  
Raissa Praxedes Grangeiro ◽  
Fernanda Cavalcanti de Azevedo ◽  
Frederico Gemesio Lemos
Keyword(s):  
Camera Trap ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Xeric Habitat ◽  
Neotropical Dry Forest
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